Chinese automakers move into Myanmar to battle Japanese rivals

Monday, April 13, 2020 - 06:00

Reuters YANGON -- Chinese automakers are ramping up local production in Myanmar as they go head to head with dominant and entrenched Japanese rivals in the fast-growing market. There was a fivefold increase in the number of new cars sold in Myanmar in the three years to 2019, when sales hit 21,916, according to data from the Automotive Association of Myanmar. The figure does not include cars sold by Chinese makers, which are not members of the association. But industry estimates put annual sales of Chinese vehicles at between 2,000 and 3,000 units, or about 10% of market share and growing rapidly.